A typical writing pad or tablet has a stiff cardboard backing and a number of sheets of paper attached to it along the top edge by a binding. These types of writing pads are often used to take notes and messages while using the telephone. Most users will hold the telephone receiver in one hand and a writing instrument in the other hand. As the user writes, the pad may slip due to the lateral forces applied by the user. A slipping pad can be irritating and creates a messy note or message.
Desk pads for placement on top of a desk have been used for many years. When a user places a note pad on a desk pad, the tendency to slip may be less because the desk pad might provide more of a friction surface than a desk or table top. However, there may not be room on a table or credenza adjacent a telephone for a desk pad. Various notepad holders have been proposed in the past, some of which may reduce slippage. Also, there have been proposals to apply a friction-enhancing surface directly to the outer side of the cardboard backing of a notepad.